After just two years in the league, Donovan Mitchell is already firmly entrenched in my top five. If he continues to progress like we think he will, the former No. 13 overall pick in 2017 may even challenge The Statues someday.
It’s crazy to think about in hindsight, but Mitchell almost elected to skip the draft in favor of another year at Louisville. Even when he ultimately decided to give the pro game a go, nobody could have predicted what was to come. Now, he’s a legitimate franchise player for one of the best teams in the league.
During his rookie season, Mitchell put up 20 points, four assists, and four rebounds per game. Along the way, he broke Damian Lillard‘s rookie record for 3-pointers made, was the first rookie to log 1500 total points and 100 steals since LeBron, and the first to lead a playoff squad in scoring since Carmelo.
Despite some early sophomore slumpage, Mitchell rebounded to log a 24-4-4 line and upped his 3-point shooting to over 36 percent in year two. In year three, I’m expecting an All-Star selection and more playoff wins for the Jazz. Mitchell is just that good.
In short, he single-handedly helped the Jazz maintain their trajectory toward the top of the Association in spite of Hayward’s exodus. I still shudder to think about what’s to come.
Next: No. 4